Five takeaways as Miami Hurricanes wrap spring practice schedule
First and foremost, let’s call Saturday what it was.
The Miami Hurricanes’ spring “game,” the conclusion of their 15-practice regiment over the past month, was more of an open practice at Cobb Stadium on UM’s campus than it was an actual game. The team went through drills for the first half hour before transition to 11-on-11 action, and even that purposely had a “vanilla” game plan in place, per coach Mario Cristobal.
Several of Miami’s top players — running back Mark Fletcher Jr., wide receiver Malachi Toney, tight end Elija Lofton, offensive lineman Jackson Okunlola, defensive tackle Ahmad Moten Sr. and linebacker Mo Toure among them — did not take part in the live football portion of the day, mostly by design.
All that to say there is still an incomplete picture of what this Hurricanes team that is coming off a run to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game could look like in 2026.
Plus, Cristobal and the Hurricanes know there is still much more work to be done before the season begins on Sept. 4 at Stanford.
“All in all, successful spring,” Cristobal said after the day’s events concluded. “A lot of progress and a lot more to go.”
Here are five takeaways from the game itself and the spring practice regiment as a whole.
Chemistry between Mensah and Barkate on full display
It’s easy to see why quarterback Darian Mensah and wide receiver Cooper Barkate had so much success together last season at Duke.
And it’s easy to see why there’s excitement with the duo continuing that success at Miami.
Mensah and Barkate were on the same page for essentially the entire practice Saturday. It was highlighted by a long pass down the right sideline with Mensah hitting Barkate in stride with cornerback Ethan O’Connor and safety Dylan Day in coverage for the first of three Mensah touchdown passes during the live 11-on-11 portion.
Mensah’s other touchdowns went to sophomore Daylyn Upshaw and West Virginia transfer Cam Vaughn.
But the expectation, understandably, is that Barkate will be one of Mensah’s primary targets in 2026. Barkate caught 72 passes for 1,106 yards and seven touchdowns with Mensah as his signal caller at Duke. They refer to each other as brothers and best friends. They went through the transfer process together and expect to do big things at Miami together.
“Just to go through anything with somebody who you’re so close to is pretty awesome,” Mensah said. “He’s also a stud, and it’s only up for him, so can’t wait to see the growth for him this season.”
Freshmen making an impact
Offensive lineman Jackson Cantwell was the crown jewel of Miami’s 2026 recruiting class. Defensive back JJ Dunnigan has received oodles of praise throughout spring.
Both showed why on Saturday.
Cantwell was steady at left tackle with the starting offensive line and looks like all but a lock to start the season there. Dunnigan played primarily with the second-team defense with Miami deep in the secondary, but was active throughout the day when he was on the field.
And they’re far from the only freshmen who turned heads. Running back Javian Mallory got some time with the first-team offense with Fletcher not going through live practice. Wide receivers Milan Parris and Vance Spafford made a few contested catches as well.
Linebacker depth gets time with top unit
With Toure not going through the live portion of practice, several players UM hopes to rely on at linebacker got extended run with the first-team defense alongside Chase Smith.
Among them: Redshirt junior Kamal Bonner plus sophomores Kellen Wiley Jr. and Ezekiel Marcelin Jr.
Linebacker depth is among Miami’s biggest question marks as spring practice ends.
Both lines of scrimmage coming along
Even though Okunlola and Moten weren’t out there, Miami’s starting offensive and defensive line appear to be coming together.
Cantwell, SJ Alofaituli (presumably filling in for Okunlola), Ryan Rodriguez, Max Buchanan and Matt McCoy was the primary offensive line on Saturday.
On the defensive line, Missouri transfer Damon Wilson III and Armondo Blount were the primary edge rushers, with Justin Scott and Ohio State transfer Jarquez Carter on the interior. Those four, along with Marquise Lightfoot and Nebraska transfer Keona Davis, should be Miami’s six main defensive linemen.
Can Jordan Lyle get back in the mix?
Junior running back Jordan Lyle began 2025 as a starter, got hurt in the season opener against Notre Dame and never really did much the rest of the season.
He showed flashes of his promise and playmaking ability on Saturday, a reminder of what he can bring to a loaded running back room.
Miami conceivably has five running backs vying for playing time in Fletcher, Lyle, CharMar “Marty” Brown, Girard Pringle Jr. and Mallory, with Chris Wheatley-Humphrey also in the mix.
If Lyle can keep flashing, he should find himself steadily in the rotation.
This story was originally published April 18, 2026 at 3:13 PM.
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